No One Is Alone
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: Tired of being looked at as a villain and living life on the run, Elphaba contemplates surrendering to the Witch Hunters when they come for her, but a certain bouncy blonde gives her hope in the darkness. Gelphie! Inspired by the song No One Is Alone from Into The Woods. COMPLETE


**A/N: Here's the other o/s I promised! Another Gelphie, because I caught the shipping bug and can't seem to stop :) Enjoy! **

Summary: Tired of being looked at as a villain and living life on the run, Elphaba contemplates surrendering to the Witch Hunters when they come for her, but a certain bouncy blonde gives her hope in the darkness. Gelphie! Inspired by the song No One Is Alone from Into The Woods.

**Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!**

**No One Is Alone**

Elphaba paced the steps of Kiamo Ko, trying to stop her hands from shaking as she went over the plan once more in her head. She couldn't believe it had actually come to this. All she'd been trying to do was protect the Animals, to speak out for them as none had spoken for her. She'd learned a long time ago that no good deed went unpunished, but the fact that it had gone so far… she'd only been trying to right her own wrong, and she'd lost everyone she loved in the process. Doctor Dillamond, Nessa, Boq, Fiyero… Oz, Fiyero. The memory of him crying out for her as they dragged him away to the cornfields still haunted her nightmares. Her biggest regret was not having been able to save him. Well, that and…

The green girl shook her head. She clenched her trembling hands and bit down hard on her emerald lip, trying to bite back the sudden burn of tears that welled in her eyes when she thought of her bouncy little blonde. Of all the wrongs she'd done over the years, leaving Galinda was the one that never failed to stop stinging. Even though she knew her friend would be well taken care of after she was gone, it didn't stop her heart from nearly bursting in despair knowing she would never see her again. She'd never hear her laugh, or see her eyes light up at the thought of yet another party or frivolous social gathering, never wipe her tears and hold her close after one of many nightmares as she rubbed soothing circles along her back and gently rocked her to sleep like she'd done on those countless stormy nights during their years at Shiz. She'd never work up the courage to kiss her like she'd wanted to for Oz knew how long…she'd never even get the chance to tell Galinda how she felt. After tonight, everyone in Oz would think her dead. And for her own safety, Galinda would have to think that too.

A few tears traced their way down the girl's shining emerald cheeks, threatening to betray her true feelings, but she hastily wiped them away. Now wasn't the time to reminisce about what could've been. More than ever she had to be strong. She had to keep up her treacherous imagine as the Wicked Witch. If she couldn't, everything would fall apart and she'd spend the rest of her days forever on the run. Elphaba sighed and squared her shoulders as she regretfully begin to descend the stairs, for she knew the Ozian's would come looking for her in Dorothy's holding cell, eager to rescue the innocent little Kansas girl and her whiny dog from the vile and demonic Wicked Witch of the West. Surely they would expect to find her torturing the brat, and while she fully intended not to harm her, she saw no reason not to give the villagers the show they expected. Just as she put her pointed heel on the first step however, she heard a shuffle from the other stairwell.

The witch froze, paralyzed in a sudden bout of terror as she listened to the feet shuffle swiftly down the stairs. They'd found her.

Blood drained from her face as she stumbled over her own feet, hurrying to try and blend in with the shadows. Her breathing came in shallow gasps as she felt herself back against the cold, onyx crevice of the castle wall.

_No!_ It was too soon. She wasn't prepared. If they caught her now, they might actually succeed in killing her for real. Her only escape plan lay down in the dungeon with Dorothy, and there was no way she could make it all the way down from where she stood now. If she didn't do something fast, she'd be hopelessly trapped, rendered defenseless at the mercy of the Ozian Guard. She didn't want to magic them. She was many things, but she wasn't a killer. She wouldn't risk letting her powers loose, even in such a dire situation as this.

Frantically, she searched for something with which to defend herself. A jagged, silver dagger with a bronze, emerald encrusted handle glinted at her from her work table and Elphaba sighed in relief. She'd forgotten she'd pillaged the knife off of an unconscious guard after rescuing a family of Tigers on the run from the Emerald City Jail last week. She inched over to the table and hurriedly gripped the hilt, slinking back into the shadows when it was safely secured in her grasp. She clutched the weapon to her chest and waited with baited breath as the footsteps inched nearer to her chambers.

* * *

><p>Glinda galloped through Oz as fast as the steed would carry her, landscapes whizzing past her vision faster than she could comprehend. Normally, she would've taken her bubble, but that had been designed for glamor, not speed. Still, even with the fastest horse in the palace, there was no telling whether she'd reach Kiamo Ko in time to save her friend.<p>

But she had to try.. Morrible had let this Wicked Witch business go on for far too long, and she was too consumed in her own greedy desire for power to do anything to stop it.

Glinda quelled a scream of frusteration as it bubbled up inside her.. It hadn't been so long ago when she and that horrid woman actually had more in common than she was willing to admit. She'd always been raised to rise above things, to never stop fighting for what she wanted, and always look for a new way to get ahead. When Elphaba flew off all those years ago, alone and afraid from the attic of the Emerald Palace, she'd tried to convince herself she'd done the right thing by staying behind. That it wasn't just for her own good, but for Elphaba's too. She tried to rationalize that she would've only burdened the green girl, as she hadn't a clue how to survive on her own. Her coming along would've just slowed them down. A week later, the Wizard announced her to the people as Glinda the Good and praised her for for warning the good people of Oz to the danger that was the Wicked Witch of the West. The blonde told herself that it was all for the best, that she was doing what was right for Oz, and protecting her friend by serving the people. But there was nothing she'd ever regretted more than letting her go that day. She missed her more than words could express, and each day, the gaping hole in her heart only got larger. For as many people who claimed to love her, none could replace the deep bond she shared with her best friend; her Elphie.

And that day at Nessa's funeral… The hurt, the pure hatred that had radiated from every pore of her beautiful emerald body as tears of grief quickly morphed into blazing anger… The memory continued to haunt her every waking moment, and if given the opportunity, she would do anything in her power to take it back. She still didn't know what in Oz had possessed her to give Morrible the idea to use the younger Thropp against her dearest friend, and the notion that her petty obsession with Fiyero- even though everyone could tell he didn't love her- had ultimately caused the death of her best friend's sister's still left a bitter taste in her mouth, and twisted her stomach into a thousand knots. Now she had one final chance to redeem herself, and live up to the title that had been wrongly bestowed upon her so long ago. Her friend's life depended on her. She'd failed Elphaba so many times before; she was determined not to do so again.

After many hours of traveling, Galinda finally arrived at the gates of Kiamo Ko castle. She slid off her horse, thanking Lurline that she'd somehow been fast enough to beat the Ozian Guard and the Witch Hunters. She hurried past the gates and up into the castle chambers, hoping she could find the elusive green girl before anyone else arrived.

* * *

><p>Elphaba heard the click clack of stilettos change from a loud, ringing sound that ricocheted off the hollow glittering brick of the palace walls to a softer shuffle as they skirted 'cross the concrete floor of her chambers. She held her breath from behind the black, gossamer curtain where she hid, fearing for her life. Condors took flight in her stomach as she waited. The feet kept shuffling, but it was the only sound in the room. Elphaba found it odd that whoever had discovered her castle wasn't tearing down the walls brick by brick as they searched for her. There were no blood thirsty shrieks of her name to echo off the walls, or shattering sounds of breaking glass as they destroyed her workspace. But instead of calming the witch, the soundless, non-violent atmosphere only succeeded in making the tension that seeped through every pore of her body heighten. It couldn't be an Animal, for they all knew her name and would've called for her by now. Not to mention the obvious: Animal's didn't wear shoes.<p>

Her senses sharpened even more and her breathing was cautious and sparse. She doubted it was the Witch Hunters; they were far too violent and not at all cunning enough to sneak around. They lusted only for blood; they wouldn't hold this person's composure as they crept about. No, their entrance, much like that of the Ozian Guard, would be immensely more pronounced than whoever was stalking her now. Even so, she wasn't taking any chances. As soon as she saw a blur of shimmering blue fabric slink by her hiding spot, she drew back the curtain and pounced into the open, raising the dagger high above her head. "You may have caught me," she cackled maniacally, her eyes wild and crazed with fear, breathing slightly labored, "but I don't intend to go down without a fight."

The figure, a woman dressed in a flowing blue gown with a full bubble skirt, whirled around with an alarmed shriek. Her aurelian curls swirled wildly as she swiveled to face the green girl. "El- Elphie?"

The witch staggered back, the knife slipping from her grip and clattering to the floor with a metallic _clang_. Shocked, unbelieving sable eyes meet glorious sapphire. Elphaba's brows scrunched together in utter confusion as her gaze settled on the bouncy blonde before her. She reached forward with a trembling, emerald hand, fingering the sheer fabric of the other girl's dress, as if trying to decide whether she was a ghost come to soothe her before her final moments, or really, actually, standing there. "Gl- Glinda?" she stuttered, still not able to comprehend the sight before her.

"Oh, Elphie! Thank Oz!" The blonde's smile lit up the entire room as she launched herself at the sorceress, hugging her with such enthusiastic ferocity it nearly knocked the taller witch off her feet. "The green girl felt a few tears stain her patched back dress. "I was so afraid I wouldn't make it here in time! I thought they'd…" She stopped, unable to complete that horrific thought. "Oh, Elphaba. I'm so, so, sorry! This is all my fault! Oh, thank Oz I found you!"

In a daze, the witch stepped slightly away from her old friend, gently unwinding her slender arms from their koala-like grip around her neck as she lowered the shorter girl down to her feet and held her cautiously at arms length. Tears danced in her eyes and a few trickled over the edge onto her pale cheeks. Unconsciously, the green girl reached out and brushed them away with a gentle swipe of her finger. The Good Witch blushed and smiled softly. She sniffed a bit and moved to dry her eyes.

"Oh, Elphie…" she trailed off.

"Glinda…" the sorceress murmered in dazed in astonishment. Wh… What are you _doing _here?"

The blonde's brows creased in worry and her sparkling sapphire eyes turned the shade of an overcast sky before a coming storm. She threw an anxious glance over her shoulder before clasping her friend's emerald hands in her own. "You mean you don't know?"

Elphaba looked at her quizzically. "Know what?"

"Elphie, the Witch Hunters, Morrible, they're coming for you. They mean to... " her voice shook with sorrow and fear. "They mean to kill you," she rasped out tearfully as she pulled her friend along behind her toward the stairs that led out to the ground floor. "Quickly now, I have a horse out back. We have to go. We have to get you out of here.

The green woman's eyes stung with another set of unshed tears at the passionate concern that laced her friend's voice. No one had spoken to her with that much kindness since Shiz, and it made her heart swell to hear it. For one fleeting moment, she contemplated going with Glinda. Hopping on the back of that horse with her and fleeing the castle as fast as it could carry them. But as quickly as the thought surfaced, she dismissed it. Doing that would only succeed in dragging Glinda's name through the mud as the fugitive who helped the Wicked Witch escape, not to mention prolong her miserable and terrifying existence on the run. She couldn't do that to her, and she didn't want it for herself either. Smiling sadly, Elphaba shook her head defiantly and gently unclasped the blondes fingers from where they surrounded her own. "No," she said softly. "I'm not going with you."

Glinda's features scrunched in incomprehension, and she gazed up at Elphaba in earnest. "Elphie?" she whispered. "Wh- what do you mean? If you stay here, they'll kill you!"

The witch exhaled and locked gazes with the blonde forlornly, wishing so desperately that she didn't have to do this, that she could tell her friend the real plan and Glinda's last glimpse of her didn't have to be of her supposedly surrendering in defeat. That she didn't have to leave her here, looking so alone and fragile; that she had some other option but to follow through with this ridiculously reckless last hope of hers to venture out into a new world, alone and frightened, with no other ally but herself. And that was assuming the plan worked at all. If it didn't… Well then, at least Glinda wouldn't be left to mourn a lie. "I'm tired of running, Glin," she told her. "Morrible and the Wizard were right all along; I haven't been doing anything to help the Animals. I've become a monster, and it's time to put this to an end."

Glinda's eyes widened in horror at the hollowness that echoed in the green girl's words. She couldn't believe her best friend, who had lost so much, _survived _so much, would surrender now, after she'd fought so hard. "El- Elphaba, what are you saying?"

The green girl turned to her worktable and hefted a big brown bucket onto the floor. Glinda saw droplets of water slosh over it's brim, but it's purpose made no sense to her. "I'm saying," Elphaba explained sorrowfully. "That it's time to give the Ozians' what they want. They want to kill me? Let them. A life on the run isn't much of a life anyway."

Galinda gasped and clasped Elphaba's trembling hands in her own. Tears blurred her vision as she attempted to task some sense into her former roommate. "Elphie!" she sobbed, "You can't just let them…"

Elphaba wrapped the shaking blonde in a strong hug, closing her eyes and releasing the feeling of Glinda's body against her own, knowing this was probably the last human touch she would have for a long while. "You're the only friend I've ever had," she whispered tearfully.

That only made Glinda cry harder, "And I've had so many friends," she said thickly, never letting go of the witch as she met her gaze. "But only one… that mattered."

Elphaba smiled softly before moving away and drying her eyes. She ushered Glinda back toward the stairs and motioned for her to climb. "Go. You can't be found here! You have to go!"

Glinda stood there, still clinging to the green girl. She bit her lip as she glanced between Elphaba's heartbroken face and the long spiral of stone stairs. The lines that creased her beautiful emerald face proved that the harsh cruelties of this world had taken their toll on her, but Glinda refused to lose faith. She wasn't going to abandon her now., she wasn't going to leave her alone to face her last moments in the darkness of these chambers. She couldn't go back out into the world again, if Elphaba was no longer in it. "No," she said defiantly. "I'm not leaving you."

The witch's eyes flashed and she threw a panicked glance at the door, praying her enemies wouldn't show up until she knew Galinda was safe. "You must leave," she urged.

Glinda stood her ground. "No! Elphie, I'm done bowing to the Wizard. I'll clear your name, I'll go to the people, I'll tell them everything! They'll have to believe me!"

"No!" The sorceress shook the blonde's shoulders in alarm. "They'll only turn against you."

"I don't care!" Glinda screeched as tears poured down her cheeks.

"I do! Promise me, promise me, you won't try to clear my name."

Galinda stared at her, mouth agape, eyes full with untold sorrow. "But-" her voice quivered.

"Promise!" the green girl urged.

Glinda bit her lip, then slowly shook her head, golden girls shimmering, even in the dim moonlight that streaked through the sole window of the chamber. "I can't, Elphie. I can't lose you!"

"Glinda, please!" Elphaba pleaded. "You have to go. I need to know you're safe. I can't let them hurt you!"

"And I can't let you die here!" she defied.

"Glinda-"

"Ozdammit Elphaba," the blonde seethed. "I love you!"

The words ricocheted off the hollow brick and echoed in Elphaba's ears. Her mind reeled and she stumbled back, looking astonishly at the blonde with wide, stunned sable eyes. "You… _what?" _she breathed, unable to comprehend such a statement as it applied to her.

"I said I love you, you draft green thing," Glinda giggled and came over to wrap her arms around the taller girl's waist. "I have ever since Shiz."

"But you… You're an Upland…You're Glinda the Good… You were engaged to Fiyero, and he's dead because of me. How could you ever…?" Try as she might, Elphaba simply couldn't wrap her mind around that notion. She'd known her own feelings for a long time, but Glinda had never shown the slightest interest- or she'd never noticed it before. She always seemed to be obsessed with the Vinkin prince. What to wear around him, the parties they were attending, their engagement. After everything she'd done, after all the fights they'd had since she'd left her in that blasted attc of the Emerald Palace, to hear that she loved her… it was simply unfathomable.

Glinda stepped closer to her friend, grabbing one of her hands and lovingly caressing her knuckles with her thumb. "I never loved him, you know," she whispered. "I tried to, for my parents, for my reputation..." She kept her eyes trained to the ground and caught her lip between her teeth as she said, "I... I didn't want to admit to myself, or anyone else, that what _I_ really wanted for my own life... Well, it was pretty much the exact opposite of what they all expected of me."

"Glinda…" the sorceress gasped, taken aback by her frind's sudden admission.

"It was you, Elphie. Always you. I was insane trying to convince myself otherwise," she told her passionately.

Elphaba found herself stunned into silence, completely and utterly at a loss for words. "Glin, I…" She stopped, unable to find the exact right combination of words. "I love you too," she finally confessed, embarrassed to meet the other girl's gaze.

"You… You do?" the blonde gasped, and Elphaba was astounded to hear the leap of hope that enlightened her friend's voice. Cautiously, she looked up. Her lips morphed into an unbelieving smile when she found the blonde's eyes shining in delight.

"I do," she murmured shyly. "But that's exactly why you have to leave."

"Wha-"

"Glinda-" she clasped the blonde's pale wrists in her own, begging for her to understand. "You said yourself they're coming for me. They want my blood. They want to burn me at the stake for what I've done, Glin. And if you stay…" she trailed off. "I couldn't stand the thought of another person getting hurt because of me, least of all you. _Please,_" she squeezed her hands in desperation. "try to understand that."

"I do." Glinda looked her squarely in the eye. But _you _need to understand that no matter what you say, I'm not letting you face this alone. Especially now that I know how you feel."

"How I've _always _felt," Elphaba corrected self-conciously before sighing in frustration. "But-"

"No buts." The blonde cut her off fiercely. "I just got you back, Elphaba Thropp; I'm not leaving you again."

"Glinda…" she rubbed her temples and shook her head, causing a few of her ebony locks to tumble out of her pointed hat and frame her distraught emerald features. "You don't realize what you're asking for... Aligning yourself with me… it could cost you your life," she implored. "_Please_, think this through."

"I have," she said firmly. "I can't imagine my world without you Elphaba. If we die, we die together." On impulse, she leaned forward and quickly kissed the witch.

Elphaba was rendered speechless. She blinked uncomprehendingly as she slowly brought her hand up to her mouth. "You… you're really willing to die for me?" she stuttered, unsure what else to say. Her mind had stopped forming understandable thoughts the minute Glinda's soft, bubblegum pink lips came in contact with her own.

"Of course," Glinda whispered tenderly. "I love you."

"I…" The green girl struggled to process such a genuine show of support and love. She hadn't had that since before Nessa was born. "It's just… " she finally managed. "I've been alone and hated for so long. Everyone wants my head on a platter, Glin. I don't even… " Her voice trailed away, not certain what she was even trying to say.

Glinda came around behind her and slipped her slender arms around the green girl's waist, resting her chin on the taller woman's shoulder. "Oh, Elphie. No one is ever truly alone," she soothed. "No matter how isolated you may feel, someone's always on your side."

"You really believe that?" the witch asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes," the blonde attested simply with a small shrug. "I can't convince you not to surrender if that's really what you want, but I'm determined to stand with you, no matter what you choose."

The sorceress felt her lip tremble as she took in the sincerity of Glinda's words. "Th- thank you, Glin. But… are you sure" she asked again, still not quite believing it.

The blonde met her eyes again, remorse clear as day in her shining, sky-blue orbs. "That day in the palace, when you asked me to go with you, and I refused," she bit her lip as her eyes welled with tears. "I left you, Elphie. I never regretted anything more."

The witch swiveled in her arms so she could clearly see the blonde's pale face as she raised her eyebrows contradictingly. "But," she started, "You didn't…"

"I did," the blonde interrupted. "And I've kicked myself for it ever since. I don't intend to make the same mistake twice."

"You never made one the first time!" the sorceress protested. "I was wrong to ask you to come; this isn't the life you deserve." Then she realized what she'd said and huffed in defeat. "_I'm _not the life you deserve."

Glinda ignored her and instead began to sing softly in her ear. "Sometimes people leave you, whether or not they should."

"But you were right," the green girl denied.

The blonde pretended not to hear and continued singing quietly, hugging the witch to her. "Others may deceive you."

"More like everyone," she retorted with a huff.

"But, _you_ decide what's good. You decide alone."

"I tried," Elphaba moaned dejectedly, "but I guess I was wrong about that too."

Glinda just smiled softly and gently hugged her friend. "People make mistakes."

"Fathers," The sorceress sneered, thinking of the beating and criticism she'd suffered at the hands of the man who was supposed to care for her.

"Mothers," Glinda supplied, reminded of the way her parents harsh expectations had kept her from admitting her true feelings and desires until this very night. "People make mistakes." She shrugged her shoulders and Elphsaba marvelled at the calmness in her experssion, as if none of the past mattred, and all that counted was he here and now. "They're holding to their own, thinking they're alone."

"Sometimes they are," the green girl deadpanned.

"But it doesn't mean they're wrong," Glinda pointed out. "Giving up won't help anything. People need to know the truth."

"If only they'd believe it," the witch sighed listlessly.

"They will If I tell them," she insisted.

"How?'

"Just let them see you," she said simply. "_Really _see you. Like I learned to, back at Shiz."

Elphaba scoffed. "Yeah, a lot of good that would do," She rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced.

Glinda surprised her with another kiss. "I believe it will." she murmured tenderly against jade skin as she gave the witch's hands a reassuring squeeze."Witches can be right, Wizards can do wrong. You decide what's right, You decide what's good."

Elphaba snorted.

"Just remember; someone is on your side."

"And someone else is not," the green girl said warily. "So, while you're seeing our side; maybe you forgot, they are not alone."

Well," Glinda reasoned stubbornly. "Neither are we. No one is alone."

"Glinda," the sorceress repremanded. "This is Morrible and the Wizard. All of Oz respects them. They lined up _an army_ to hunt me dead! What have we got against that?"

The blonde softly rested a hand on the emerald girl's shoulder, a festy light gleaming in her eyes. "As plain old Galinda and Elphaba," she admitted, "not much."

The witch nodded, "See? So it's better not to fight. I've been battling them a long time, Glin; they can't be beaten. We have to get you out of here before they come for me." She gestured to the stairs again and tried to pull her friend forward, but the Good Witch dug in her heels so her feet stayed planted firmly on the floor. Elphaba fixed her with a steely glare, but the blonde's smile only widened.

"As Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, however," she smirked and twirled her wand in the air like a fancy baton as her friend stifled a laugh despite the seriousness of the situation before them, "we've got a lot," she winked.

Elphaba chuckled at her friend's antics, but still looked anxiously at the door. "It's a good plan, Glin, but…."

"Come on, Elphie!" she begged. "We at least have to try, don't we?"

"Well…."

"I know it's hard to see the light now," the blonde empathized, "Just don't let it go."

"But Glin, what if… what if it doesn't work? Then I'll just have more blood on my hands, and Oz will be no better for it." She shook her head sadly, and the blonde pulled her close.

"Things will come out right now," she promised in a reassuring whisper. "We can make it so."

Elphaba begin to pace, worried that the guard would storm through any minute. "I know you want to believe that," she said sweetly before biting her lip, "but..."

"Think of all the thing we could do together if we manage to convince them!" the Good Witch enthused. "We could lift the Animal bans! We could give people their jobs back, their _livelihoods_. We could reunite _families, _Elphie! Don't you want that?"

The green girl groaned and threw up her hands in frustration. "Of course I do, Glinda!" she practically growled., "But I've been trying for _years_! Nothing works. They're just too powerful."

"For you, maybe. But not for _us_." Her spphire orbs were hardened in determination.

The green girl paused. She hated to crush her friend's hopes, but she didn't know if she could do it anymore. "I just don't know if I have the energy to fight again," she confessed sadly.

The Good Witch took her hand and smiled. "It won't just be you this time though," she implored. "This is my fight too now."

"Glinda…"

"Someone is on your side," she attested fiercely. "No one is alone."

A ghost of a smile played on the green girl's lips. "Okay," she finally relented. "Lets try."

Galinda captured her in another kiss, and together, they waited in the darkness for the army to storm the castle.


End file.
